Dragon Burial Mounds

Dragon Mounds are circular mounds scattered across all corners of Skyrim, surrounded by a scattering of standing stones. They are ancient dragon burial mounds, the final resting place of these creatures when they were slain centuries ago. Alduin the World-Eater has returned to Skyrim, and over the course of the main quest, he opens these mounds and resurrects the dragons within, calling them forth to wreak havoc once more.

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There are twenty-two dragon mounds scattered throughout the nine holds of Skyrim. When one is encountered (all are listed in the atlas, and marked on the hold maps), it will be in one of four states. Over the course of the main quest, these mounds gradually open, releasing the dragons trapped within.

Each dragon mound opens in response to a specific objective in the main quest. Before that point, the dragon mound is dormant. The ground is covered, and the site could easily be mistaken for an ancient Nordic burial mound, as the two are quite similar.

As the main quest goes on, more and more mounds will be found in this state. Alduin has visited the site, resurrected the dragon from the mound, and flown away. Meanwhile, the reborn dragon remains here, gathering its strength and waiting for a chance to strike.

In a few cases, if the right mound is stumbled upon at just the right time, Alduin may be encountered himself. If watched, Alduin will resurrect the dragon, then fly off to his next destination. Attack, and Alduin roars into the skies before making his escape (he cannot be killed). Meanwhile, the resurrected dragon will turn and attack. If this opportunity is missed, the mound will change to State III, with the newly resurrected dragon remaining near its mound until the Dragonborn arrives to challenge it. Stage IV mounds can be seen and identified from a distance due to Alduin flying around it. Do not stand on top of these mounds before the dragon emerges, as it can cause it to become stuck in the ground.